Portland State opens its 2009-10 home schedule on Saturday night against Cal Poly at the Peter W. Stott Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. as both teams will go after their first win of the season.
PSU's (0-3) game with Cal Poly (0-2) begins a 12-game regular season home schedule, four of which are non-conference games. Ironically, PSU's next home game - Dec. 5 vs. Eastern Washington - will be the Big Sky Conference opener. The Vikings will have two road games sandwiched in between those home contests (Nov. 29 at Stanford, Dec. 2 at Portland).
With three straight losses to start the season, the Vikings are happy to come home. PSU has won seven straight home games entering this season and was 12-1 at home overall last year.
Portland State has four players averaging in double
figures entering this Saturday's game. JR G Melvin Jones leads the way with 12.7 points per game. SR G
Dominic Waters and JR F Phil Nelson each average 11.7 points, while SR
F Jamie Jones averaged 10.7 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds.
STORYLINES: VIKINGS VS. MUSTANGS
• All-time series: Portland State leads 4-3, but lost in San Luis Obispo, 65-62, last season... all seven games have come in the previous 11 seasons. PSU is 3-0 at home against Cal Poly and the home team has won five straight in the series.
• Home Opener: Portland State is 9-4 in home openers since basketball was brought back to the Park Blocks in 1996-97. One of those wins was an 80-63 victory over Cal Poly on Nov. 27, 2004... PSU has won three straight home openers.
• The Stott Center: Portland State sold out three of 13 home games and averaged 1,106 fans last season at the Stott Center. That was the highest average for Stott Center games in four years (PSU averaged more in 2007-08, but that included three Rose Garden games and the Big Sky Tournament)... Portland State was 12-1 at home last year and is 25-2 at home over the last two years.
• Coaching Connection: Viking Coach Tyler Geving and Mustang Coach Joe Callero are both first-year coaches at their respective schools and they have a history together. Geving spent three seasons as an assistant coach under Callero at Seattle University (2001-04) and at Highline Community College (1996-98). Geving also played for Callero at Central Washington (1991-92).
• Cal Poly is a member of the Big West Conference. The Mustangs finished 7-21 last season, 3-13 and in ninth place in the Big West. Two starters and seven letterwinners return from that team.
GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
VIKINGS ON RADIO: All Portland State basketball games can be heard on 800 AM KPDQ and www.kpdq-am.com.The Viking Pregame Show begins one-half hour prior to tipoff with Tom Hewitt calling all the action.
VIKINGS ON TV: Portland State has four regular season games scheduled to be televised in the Portland area: Nov. 15 @ Washington, Dec. 19 vs. Washington State (FSN-channel 34 in Portland); Jan. 17 vs. Northern Arizona, Feb. 28 vs. Weber State (CSN-channel 37 in Portland).
INTERNET STREAMING: Live streaming video of all Portland State home and Big Sky Conference games can be seen free at www.BigSkyTV.org. Live stats for Portland State home games are at www.GoViks.com.
TYLER GEVING ON WHEELS AT WORK WEEKLY: Portland State Basketball Coach Tyler Geving will be a weekly guest on The Wheels at Work Show on 95.5 FM The Game in Portland. Geving will talk Viking basketball and more with hosts Brian Wheeler, Kenny Vance and Jay Allen every Tuesday at 1:35 p.m. beginning on November 10.
TICKETS: Tickets for all home games can be purchased in prices ranging from $10 to $15, with youth prices as low as $7. To purchase tickets by phone, call 1.888.VIK.TIKS or 503.725.3307. Special group ticket pricing and season tickets are available by calling Scott Boyd at 503.725.5627. Tickets are on sale at the PSU Ticket Office, located in Smith Memorial Student Union, 1825 SW Broadway. You can also purchase tickets on-line at www.GoViks.com, www.TicketMaster.com or at all TicketMaster outlets.
VIKINGS BASKETBALL BREAKFAST SERIES: The Viking Basketball Breakfast Series takes place on four dates during the course of the basketball season. Head Coach Tyler Geving will speak about Viking basketball at each breakfast event. Dates are Dec. 9, Jan. 13, Feb. 10 and Feb. 24 from 7:30-8:45 a.m. at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Cost is $20. RSVP with Scott Boyd (boyds@pdx.edu).
